Huawei preps a big CES showing, with Windows Phone 8 and a 1080p devices on the list

The latest rumors point to Huawei gearing up for a busy CES 2013, as it will potentially announce at least one of its long-awaited Windows Phone 8 handsets as well as the current must-have device for the coming year, a 5-inch smartphone/tablet hybrid with a 1080p resolution.

Huawei was one of the hardware partners listed by Microsoft when it revealed its new operating system in June, however despite a few leaks, the premier device from the Chinese manufacturer hasn’t officially appeared yet. This could all change at CES, and Huawei could spearhead the second wave of phones running Windows Phone 8 with two new devices.

Both are expected to use Huawei’s Ascend brand name, with a W1 and W2 suffix, and will occupy both the upper and lower ends of the range. The Ascend W1 is likely to be the more basic of the two, armed with a 1.2GHz dual-core chip, a 4.3-inch screen and a 5-megapixel camera. The Ascend W2 has been rumored to have a larger 4.5-inch screen with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, plus a dual-core processor of unknown speed and an 8-megapixel camera.

International D2 Quad coming soon?

While the Ascend W1 is widely expected to make its debut at CES, the W2’s arrival is still a bit of a mystery. A March release date has been rumored for the W1, which could also indicate the phone will be on display during Mobile World Congress at the end of February, where it’s possible the W2 may make its first appearance. There’s even a chance Huawei will “launch” both phones at both shows.

On to Huawei’s grand plan for a Galaxy Note 2/Droid DNA challenger. According to German website BestBoyZ, Huawei will bring a smartphone/tablet hybrid with a 5-inch, 1080p display to CES too. The site also mentions Huawei are preparing a “superphone” for the second half of the year. Huawei has been linked with big-screen devices for a while, and its 5-inch Ascend D2 Quad has been half-announced already. Perhaps an international version will arrive at CES? The strangely named Ascend Mate is a strong candidate for Huawei’s future superphone, as it’s said to have a 6.1-inch, 1080p screen and a quad-core processor.

All this comes soon after it was confirmed ZTE would be launching the Grand S at CES, which will also be equipped with a 5-inch, 1080p display. CES 2012 begins on January 8 and is held in Las Vegas.